England -
Fred Geary (2-5 goals),
Nat Walton (0-3 goals), Bill Townley (0-3
goals), Joe Lofthouse,
Kenny Davenport (0-2), Jack Barton (0-1 on 88 min).
Ireland -
Jack Reynolds ('from a
scrimmage' 70)A not altogether coherent match report in
The Field credits Fred Geary with four goals, and that a very confused
summary in The Athletic News maintains that 'the clever little Everton centre was responsible for five of the goals, and beauties they were. Clugstone tried to hold one of them, but he felt it going, and he let
it go - he couldn't help it.' The Northern Whig (Belfast)
also
credits him with five. The Sporting Chronicle, only two....The Field credits
Nat Walton with England's second
goal, Belfast News, The Times and Sporting Life credits Walton with the first and second
goals. The Sporting Chronicle with the first, second and eighth!...The Field and the Northern Whig credits Townley with three goals, although other sources say only two. Or even
none....Some reports credit Jack Barton with a goal,
some don't, two minutes from time. The Irish claim the ninth goal had
gone over the bar anyway!

The
English eleven visited Belfast and engaged in their ninth annual match
against Ireland. Although the weather was wet and uncomfortable, there was
a large muster of onlookers. The home team won the toss, and at 3 30 Geary
kicked off...

The
English forwards worked well together, and in the first portion of the
match three goals were placed to their credit, while the Irish were unable
to secure a point. Positions having been reversed, the visitors continued
for some time to have the advantage. In a little over a quarter of an hour
two further goals were obtained for them. The home team now played more
vigorously, and at length they scored a point. The English were not slow,
however, in re-asserting themselves; and, although the Irish defence was
at times good, four more goals were secured by the visitors.
-
The Times - Monday 17thMarch, 1890

IN OTHER NEWS...

Everton's 3-0 win over Derby at Anfield put them level on points with League Champions,
Preston, with only one match remaining. Defeat at West Brom, the following
week, effectively ended their chances, and Preston went on to retain the
title with a victory at Notts County. It was to be their last League
Championship success.

It was on 16 March 1890
that the decision was taken to flood the Morfa Colliery at Port Talbot, as
it continued to burn following an explosion, which killed 87 men, five days
earlier. Some of the survivors described seeing ghostly apparitions below
ground in the weeks before the disaster.